Informal welcome from Sheikh Mohammed bin Essa Al-Khalifa, Chief Executive, Economic Development Board of Bahrain
FORMAT NOTES
The format of the dynamic morning plenary sessions will be in the style of a debate, with differing points of view designed to lay all the issues on the table as quickly as possible. These themes will then form the basis of the stream sessions in the afternoon, which will each feature case studies, presentations, discussions and summaries for action.
The discussions and conference streams will be co-chaired by James Rubin and Tony Wagner. Tony is co-director of the Change Leadership Group, Harvard Graduate School of Education, whose summary and findings will form the foundation for the 12 months of action by The Education Project, for presentation at the 2010 conference.
Debate sessions will be moderated by James Rubin, Broadcaster and Adjunct Professor, Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.
Day 1: Friday 16 October
09:15 - 09:30
WELCOME
Sheikh Mohammed bin Essa Al-Khalifa
Chief Executive, Economic Development Board of Bahrain
Introduced by James Rubin
OPENING DEBATE:
09:30 - 10:45
STATE OF AFFAIRS OF EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES
Why don’t outcomes measurements tell the full story?
Why are educational levels below what we expect?
Why have so many reform programmes that promised results not had the desired effect?
Speakers:
·Tony Wagner, co-director of the Change Leadership Group
Harvard Graduate School of Education
·Bahram Bekhradnia, Director, Higher Education Policy Institute, UK
·Andreas Schleicher, Head of the Indicators and Analysis Division, Directorate for Education, OECD (via video)
·Dr Mona Mourshed, Partner, Middle East Office, McKinsey & Company
·Alan Blankstein, Founder and CEO, Hope Foundation
PLENARY SESSION 1:
10:45 – 11:15
WHERE IS THE FUNDING TO COME FROM? PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS?
How much should/must we rely on public - private partnerships?
What are the alternative funding models?
Speakers:
·Adriana Jaramillo, Senior Education Specialist, Middle East and North Africa,
World Bank
·François Barrault, former CEO BT Global Services
Day 1: Friday 16 October
PLENARY SESSION 2:
11:15 – 11:45
STRUCTURE OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM: CENTRALISING VS DECENTRALISING
Should education be controlled at national or local level? Or should decision-making power be devolved to each school?
Are the fiscal and organisational costs of creating a formal structure too high?
Uniformity vs the motivation stemming from the right to take local initiative
Speakers:
·Dennis Shirley, Professor of Education, Lynch School of Education, Boston College
·Alan Blankstein, Founder and CEO, Hope Foundation
11:45 - 12:30
MID-MORNING BREAK
PLENARY SESSION 3:
12:30 - 13:00
AN EARLY START: INCREASING LONG-TERM LEARNING OUTCOMES THROUGH PRE - SCHOOL EDUCATION
Increasing learning outcomes throughout the educational life cycle of a child
Reducing risk /improving long-term outcomes by incorporating
and supporting parents
Reducing delinquency
Funding: who pays for it? Private vs public sector.
Should priority be given to disadvantaged children to lessen the gap when they enter upper schools? (Economically disadvantaged children are shown to reap long-term benefits from pre-school)
Curriculum. Well-designed pre-school programmes produce long-term improvements in school success.
Should we focus on developing social and emotional skills, or proper academic structured learning?
Learning methodologies (play vs learning).
Speakers:
·Dr Shirley Gatenio Gabel, Associate Professor, Graduate School of Social Science, Fordham University
·Dr Mary Eming Young, Lead Child Development Specialist, World Bank (via video)
13:00 – 13:30
SPECIAL ADDRESS
His Highness Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Bahrain and Chairman of the Economic Development Board of Bahrain
Day 1: Friday 16 October
13:30 - 14:45
LUNCH
14:45 – 16:15
STREAMS OF CHOICE
There will be two parallel tracks of Streams:
Streams A and B run concurrently from 14:45 to 16:15
Streams C and D run concurrently from 16:45 to 18:15
Stream E runs from 14:45 to 18:15 with a break at 16:15
The themes discussed in the morning’s plenary sessions will form the basis of the afternoon’s streams, which will each feature case studies, presentations, discussions and summaries for action.
STREAM A:
14:45 - 16:15
WHAT WE TEACH: SKILLS, CREATIVE THINKING AND ABSTRACT PROBLEM SOLVING
Discussions:
Outcomes-based teaching (with maths and science as predominant skills) versus developing creative and lateral thinking.
To be or not to be: should religion be part of official curriculum?
Problem-solving, including collaborative problem - solving
Are educational institutions giving their students the best chances at success later in life?
Speakers:
·Andreas Schleicher, Head of the Indicators and Analysis Division, Directorate for Education, OECD (via video)
·François Barrault, former CEO BT Global Services
·Angela Ho, Director of Educational Development, Hong Kong Polytechnic University
·Natasha Ridge, Research Fellow, Dubai School of Government
·Nancy Ames, Vice President, Educational Development Center EDC
Stream leader:
·Tony Wagner, co-director of the Change Leadership Group
Day 1: Friday 16 October
STREAM B:
14:45 - 16:15
FUNDING EDUCATION
Discussions:
New approaches to funding; public/private sector partnerships
Investment funds; the role of the private sector (i.e. put more money behind schooling, make it commercial, better rewards for teachers and so on)
Education investment funds: how do they contribute to improving education outcomes?
Speakers :
·Dr Taddy Blecher, CEO of Community and Individual Development Association and CEO of the Maharishi Institute in South Africa
·Aaron Brenner, Founder of KIPP SHINE Prep and head of Primary Schools for KIPP Houston
·François Barrault, former CEO BT Global Services
Stream contributors:
·Professor Alfredo Rodriguez Sedano and Professor Alfonso Osorio, Department of Education, University of Navarra, Spain
Stream leader:
·Professor Ralph Tabberer, Chief Schools Officer, GEMS
16:15 - 16:45
AFTERNOON BREAK
Day 1: Friday 16 October
STREAM C:
16:45 - 18:15
MEASURING AS THE WAY TO SUCCESS
Discussions:
What outcomes measures work?
Do existing measures take enough factors into account or do we become too focused on only skills? What are the best measurement methods available? Do we need new ones? Who should develop them?
How do you judge the performance of teachers?
Pros and cons of national systems. If you measure, you must be prepared to act both for below and above par performance. How closely should performance and pay be related?
International recognition, online marking, standards - referenced reporting of results and the modernisation of examination and assessment systems
How to increase accountability to enable fairer and more accurate evaluations of performance and a more efficient use of resources?
Speakers:
·Helen Pinnock, Educational Advisor, Save The Children
·Andreas Schleicher, Head of the Indicators and Analysis Division, Directorate for Education, OECD (via video)
Stream contributors:
·Dr Kathleen Hagstrom, Principal, Walt Disney Magnet School
·Kathleen Bandolik, Principal, OA Thorp Scholastic Academy Math and Science
·Professor Johanna Buitentach, Professor in Industrial Psychology,
University of Namibia
Stream leader:
·Dr Mona Mourshed, Partner, Middle East Office, McKinsey & Company *
* to be confirmed
Day 1: Friday 16 October
STREAM D:
16:45 - 18:15
GLOBALISATION AND INCREASED COMPETITION – THE GOOD AND THE BAD SIDE OF A SHRINKING WORLD
Discussions:
Does the increased competition between academic institutions for students (and income) lead to draining poorer regions of strong students, teachers and researchers?
Is this inevitable, and should it be encouraged as the best should go where they are most challenged and their resources put to the best use?
Benefiting from globalisation: What lessons can be taken from other markets when setting up practical and competitive models of education?
What kind of policies, administration and environment are needed to succeed, and what considerations need to be given towards funding? Case study: importing best practices from American-style higher education in Arab countries.
Importing international models vs developing local ones: what are the pros and cons
‘Exporting’ educational programmes – what are the key challenges?
Speakers:
·Adriana Jaramillo, Senior Education Specialist, Middle East and North Africa,
World Bank
·James Knight, President and CEO of the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC)
·Professor Gopinathan, Associate Dean, Office of Education Research, National Institute of Education (NIE), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore
Stream contributor:
·Enid Strickland, Interim President, College of the North Atlantic-Qatar
Stream leader:
·Dr Shafeeq Ghabra, former president of the American University of Kuwait, Professor of Political Science at Kuwait University
Day 1: Friday 16 October
STREAM E (half-day session):
14:45 - 18:15
PRE-SCHOOL
Discussions:
Integrating the education and care services into one system: childcare & pre-school – the common ground. There is an emerging trend toward integrating the education and care services into one system, a development likely to result in greater public support and higher quality programmes. Sweden, New Zealand, Spain, Scotland, and the UK have already implemented this system. What are the sociological advantages?
Curriculum: Should pre-school programmes be a full school-day rather than a short day? Research shows this appears to lead to more positive outcomes. Scandinavian programmes cover the full workday and the French preschool system has a long school day.
Which methodologies are best? Reggio approach – the environment as a teacher, multiple symbolic languages, home-school relationships.
Montessori – children direct their own learning, the teacher is a guide
Waldorf approach – largely experiential, imitative and sensory-based
What do we teach
Do we teach academic skills or social skills? Does early teaching of academic skills improve outcomes later on?
Policy decisions: why should governments invest in early child development (ECD)?
Speakers:
·Kari Pitkänen, Director of Administration, Finnish National Board of Education
·Dr Mary Eming Young, Lead Child Development Specialist, World Bank - via video
·Aaron Brenner, founder of KIPP SHINE Prep, and Head of Primary Schools,
KIPP Houston
·Ayla Goksel, CEO, Mother Child Education Foundation
·Diana Brenner, founding early childhood teacher, KIPP Houston
Stream contributors:
·Trish Attlee, Headmistress of St Peter’s Girls’ School, Johannesburg
·Patti Gird, Head of the Foundation Phase, St Peter’s Girls’ School, Johannesburg
Stream leader:
·Dr Shirley Gatenio Gabel, Associate Professor Graduate School of Social Science, Fordham University
18:15
END OF CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS, DAY 1
Day 2: Saturday 17 October
8:45 - 9:00
SUMMARY OF OUTCOME OF STREAMS DAY 1
PLENARY SESSION 4:
9:00 - 9:30
ATTRACTING STUDENTS TO VOCATIONAL TRAINING
Vocational training is the biggest gap in the educational system of many countries – when implemented successfully, it has the potential to make a huge economic difference to the country, and yet it is often treated as the stepchild of education.
Making campus a great learning experience resembling real life.
Continuous review of course relevance and creation of new certifications and training programmes.
Ensuring sufficient depth of skills and at the same time offering holistic training that prepares students to be members of a workforce an a community.
Speakers:
·Dr Law Song Seng, Senior Advisor, ITE Education Services Private Limited (ITEES), Singapore
PLENARY SESSION 5:
9:30 - 10:00
EQUIPPING ALL LEVELS OF THE SECTOR WITH LEADERSHIP AND CHANGE MANAGEMENT SKILLS
Fostering teacher ownership of change, development and improvement.
Promoting deep learning on the job.
Rekindling the passion behind becoming a teacher in the first place
Speakers:
·Dr Janice Jackson, Lecturer on Education and Senior Associate for the Executive Education Leadership Program, Harvard Graduate School of Education
·Tony Wagner, Co-Director of the Change Leadership Group, Harvard Graduate School of Education
PLENARY SESSION 6 – SPECIAL CONTRIBUTION FROM FINLAND:
10:00 - 10:30
WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO ATTRACT THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST INTO THE TEACHING PROFESSION
Salutation from Henna Virkkunen, Minister of Education for Finland
Measuring and motivating, including how to remunerate.
Retaining the newly recruited teachers who came to education because of the economic situation.
Career planning: teaching as a career with aspirations.
Speaker:
·Kari Pitkänen, Director of Administration, Finnish National Board of Education
Day 2: Saturday 17 October
10:30 - 11:00
MID-MORNING BREAK
11:00 - 11:30
SPECIAL STRATEGY SESSION
Details to be announced
CLOSING DEBATE ON STAGE:
11:30 - 12:45
TAKING SEEDS OF SUCCESS TO SCALE
Funding partnerships, community involvement, curriculum changes, increased participation of girls, student, parent and community empowerment.
Each panelist will contribute one example that he/she thinks can be applied on a bigger scale.
What is required to expand the application of seedling success models?
Speakers :
·Aaron Brenner, founder of KIPP SHINE Prep, and Head of Primary Schools,
KIPP Houston
·Nancy Ames, former Vice President, Educational Development Center EDC
·Dr Taddy Blecher, CEO of Community and Individual Development Association and CEO of the Maharishi Institute in South Africa
·Kari Pitkänen, Director of Administration, Finnish National Board of Education
·Dr Janice Jackson, Lecturer on Education and Senior Associate for the Executive Education Leadership Program, Harvard Graduate School of Education
·Dr Law Song Seng, Senior Advisor, ITE Education Services Private Limited (ITEES), Singapore
12:45 - 14:00
LUNCH
14:00 – 15:45
STREAMS OF CHOICE
There will be two parallel tracks of Streams:
Streams F, G and H run concurrently from 14:00 to 15:45
Streams I and J run concurrently from 16:15 to 17:50
The themes discussed in the morning’s plenary sessions will then form the basis of the afternoon’s streams, which will each feature case studies, presentations, discussions and summaries for action.
Day 2: Saturday 17 October
STREAM F:
14:00 - 15:45
E-LEARNING
Discussions:
To what extent can classroom instruction be replaced by e-teaching to allow for education to reach more at a lower cost?
Are there social skills that we only learn from class room/face to face?
e-Learning design and methodologies, technologies and tools, content management and development, e-Learning standards, virtual learning environments
Speakers:
·Linda Lorimer, Vice President and Secretary, Yale (by video)
·Dr Thomas Loughran, I2U2 Education Leader, University of Notre Dame
·Gabriela Leon Ojeda, MS Technology Co-ordinator, Colegio FD Roosevelt, Peru
·Marmon Pagunsan, Training Programme Specialist, Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation Regional Center for Education in Science and Mathematics
·Dorothy Burt, e-Learning Team Leader, Manaiakalani Cluster, New Zealand
Stream leader:
·Dan Shine, President, 50 x 15 Foundation and Senior Advisor, Corporate Global Citizenship, World Economic Forum
STREAM G:
14:00 - 15:45
WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO ATTRACT THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST INTO THE TEACHING PROFESSION?
Discussions:
Making a career in education appealing: private sector redundancies moving into teaching – how do we keep them there after the economy picks up? What models (apart from increased pay) will attract more graduates into jobs in education?
Teachers: do they need constant reevaluation? Do existing measurement systems (remuneration and bonus based in USA for example) lead to manipulation of the system?
How should we measure and motivate through remuneration without creating adverse results and manipulation of scoring? Continued training, defined career paths & measurement of teachers, union activity.
Speakers:
·Dr Janice Jackson, Lecturer on Education and Senior Associate for the Executive Education Leadership Program, Harvard Graduate School of Education
·Kari Pitkänen, Director of Administration, Finnish National Board of Education
Stream contributors:
·Professor Johanna Buitentach, Professor in Industrial Psychology, University of Namibia
Stream leader:
·Professor Gopinathan, Associate Dean, Office of Education Research, National Institute of Education (NIE), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore
Day 2: Saturday 17 October
STREAM H:
14:00 - 15:45
ATTRACTING STUDENTS TO VOCATIONAL TRAINING
Discussions:
How to make vocational training ‘cool’: enhancing the reach.
Creating holistic education versus technical experts.
Making vocational training relevant and accountable: Ensuring vocational training evolves to meet the needs of the workplace. Role of industry; incentives for performance; transparency; standard setting and monitoring; better governance.
How do we benefit from international collaborations?
The need to design a system that leverages education technologies to deliver innovative solutions and create authentic learning environments.
Speakers:
·Ananya S Guha, Joint Director, Indira Gandhi National Open University Institute For Vocational Education And Training, India
·James Knight, President and CEO of the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC)
·Dr Law Song Seng, Senior Advisor, ITE Education Services Private Limited (ITEES), Singapore
15:45 - 16:15
AFTERNOON BREAK
Day 2: Saturday 17 October
STREAM I:
16:15 - 17:50
EMPOWERING STUDENTS, PARENTS AND THE COMMUNITY
Discussions:
How to achieve better results through empowering students and parents to take responsibility for goals and how to meet them
The importance of encouraging each child to be the unique individual it is
Encouraging community involvement with school and vice versa: how to prepare students for modern life as citizens
Youth empowerment to foster balanced adolescent development and participation for both sexes
Speakers:
·Kari Pitkänen, Director of Administration, Finnish National Board of Education
·Marina Rosenfeld, Pedagological Director, Aprendiz City School
·Dr Taddy Blecher, CEO of Community and Individual Development Association and CEO of the Maharishi Institute in South Africa
Stream contributors:
·Dr Thomas Loughran, I2U2 Education Leader, University of Notre Dame
·Dr Dorothy Jennings, CEO, ACT Inc
·Russell Burt, Principal, Pt England School, New Zealand
Stream leader:
·Dennis Shirley, Professor of Education, Lynch School of Education, Boston College
STREAM J:
16:15 - 17:50
IDENTIFYING AND PROMOTING THE BEST INSTRUCTION PRACTICES
Discussions:
Keeping instruction and assessment aligned and in balance
Tapping into pupils’ self-motivation and driving continuous innovation and improvement in instructional practices
The language of instruction issues in relation to the children's native tongue, and inclusive approaches in the context of increasing decentralisation of education
How to bring student-centered instruction into crowded classrooms
Speakers :
·Helen Pinnock, Education Advisor, Save The Children
·Angela Ho, Director of Educational Development, Hong Kong Polytechnic University
·Nancy Ames, former Vice President, Educational Development Center EDC
Stream leader:
·Dr Janice Jackson, Lecturer on Education and Senior Associate for the Executive Education Leadership Program, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Day 2: Saturday 17 October
17:50
SUMMARY OF OUTCOMES FROM DAY 2 AND PLANS FOR THE WAY AHEAD
18:15 - 18:30
CLOSING COMMENTS
Sheikh Mohammed bin Essa Al-Khalifa
Chief Executive, Economic Development Board of Bahrain
15th - 17th October 2009 - BAHRAIN
PROGRAMME OUTLINE
Thursday 15 October
DELEGATE REGISTRATION
WELCOME RECEPTION FOR INTERNATIONAL DELEGATES
Informal welcome from Sheikh Mohammed bin Essa Al-Khalifa, Chief Executive, Economic Development Board of Bahrain
FORMAT NOTES
The format of the dynamic morning plenary sessions will be in the style of a debate, with differing points of view designed to lay all the issues on the table as quickly as possible. These themes will then form the basis of the stream sessions in the afternoon, which will each feature case studies, presentations, discussions and summaries for action.
The discussions and conference streams will be co-chaired by James Rubin and Tony Wagner. Tony is co-director of the Change Leadership Group, Harvard Graduate School of Education, whose summary and findings will form the foundation for the 12 months of action by The Education Project, for presentation at the 2010 conference.
Debate sessions will be moderated by James Rubin, Broadcaster and Adjunct Professor, Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.
Day 1: Friday 16 October
WELCOME
Chief Executive, Economic Development Board of Bahrain
Introduced by James Rubin
STATE OF AFFAIRS OF EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES
Why are educational levels below what we expect?
Why have so many reform programmes that promised results not had the desired effect?
Harvard Graduate School of Education
· Bahram Bekhradnia, Director, Higher Education Policy Institute, UK
· Andreas Schleicher, Head of the Indicators and Analysis Division, Directorate for Education, OECD (via video)
· Dr Mona Mourshed, Partner, Middle East Office, McKinsey & Company
· Alan Blankstein, Founder and CEO, Hope Foundation
WHERE IS THE FUNDING TO COME FROM? PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS?
What are the alternative funding models?
World Bank
· François Barrault, former CEO BT Global Services
Day 1: Friday 16 October
STRUCTURE OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM: CENTRALISING VS DECENTRALISING
Are the fiscal and organisational costs of creating a formal structure too high?
Uniformity vs the motivation stemming from the right to take local initiative
· Alan Blankstein, Founder and CEO, Hope Foundation
MID-MORNING BREAK
AN EARLY START: INCREASING LONG-TERM LEARNING OUTCOMES THROUGH PRE - SCHOOL EDUCATION
Reducing risk /improving long-term outcomes by incorporating
and supporting parents
Reducing delinquency
Funding: who pays for it? Private vs public sector.
Should priority be given to disadvantaged children to lessen the gap when they enter upper schools? (Economically disadvantaged children are shown to reap long-term benefits from pre-school)
Curriculum. Well-designed pre-school programmes produce long-term improvements in school success.
Should we focus on developing social and emotional skills, or proper academic structured learning?
Learning methodologies (play vs learning).
· Dr Mary Eming Young, Lead Child Development Specialist, World Bank (via video)
SPECIAL ADDRESS
Day 1: Friday 16 October
LUNCH
STREAMS OF CHOICE
Streams A and B run concurrently from 14:45 to 16:15
Streams C and D run concurrently from 16:45 to 18:15
Stream E runs from 14:45 to 18:15 with a break at 16:15
The themes discussed in the morning’s plenary sessions will form the basis of the afternoon’s streams, which will each feature case studies, presentations, discussions and summaries for action.
WHAT WE TEACH: SKILLS, CREATIVE THINKING AND ABSTRACT PROBLEM SOLVING
Outcomes-based teaching (with maths and science as predominant skills) versus developing creative and lateral thinking.
To be or not to be: should religion be part of official curriculum?
Problem-solving, including collaborative problem - solving
Are educational institutions giving their students the best chances at success later in life?
· François Barrault, former CEO BT Global Services
· Angela Ho, Director of Educational Development, Hong Kong Polytechnic University
· Natasha Ridge, Research Fellow, Dubai School of Government
· Nancy Ames, Vice President, Educational Development Center EDC
Day 1: Friday 16 October
FUNDING EDUCATION
New approaches to funding; public/private sector partnerships
Investment funds; the role of the private sector (i.e. put more money behind schooling, make it commercial, better rewards for teachers and so on)
Education investment funds: how do they contribute to improving education outcomes?
· Aaron Brenner, Founder of KIPP SHINE Prep and head of Primary Schools for KIPP Houston
· François Barrault, former CEO BT Global Services
AFTERNOON BREAK
Day 1: Friday 16 October
MEASURING AS THE WAY TO SUCCESS
What outcomes measures work?
Do existing measures take enough factors into account or do we become too focused on only skills? What are the best measurement methods available? Do we need new ones? Who should develop them?
How do you judge the performance of teachers?
Pros and cons of national systems. If you measure, you must be prepared to act both for below and above par performance. How closely should performance and pay be related?
International recognition, online marking, standards - referenced reporting of results and the modernisation of examination and assessment systems
How to increase accountability to enable fairer and more accurate evaluations of performance and a more efficient use of resources?
· Andreas Schleicher, Head of the Indicators and Analysis Division, Directorate for Education, OECD (via video)
· Kathleen Bandolik, Principal, OA Thorp Scholastic Academy Math and Science
· Professor Johanna Buitentach, Professor in Industrial Psychology,
University of Namibia
* to be confirmed
Day 1: Friday 16 October
GLOBALISATION AND INCREASED COMPETITION – THE GOOD AND THE BAD SIDE OF A SHRINKING WORLD
Does the increased competition between academic institutions for students (and income) lead to draining poorer regions of strong students, teachers and researchers?
Is this inevitable, and should it be encouraged as the best should go where they are most challenged and their resources put to the best use?
Benefiting from globalisation: What lessons can be taken from other markets when setting up practical and competitive models of education?
What kind of policies, administration and environment are needed to succeed, and what considerations need to be given towards funding? Case study: importing best practices from American-style higher education in Arab countries.
Importing international models vs developing local ones: what are the pros and cons
‘Exporting’ educational programmes – what are the key challenges?
World Bank
· James Knight, President and CEO of the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC)
· Professor Gopinathan, Associate Dean, Office of Education Research, National Institute of Education (NIE), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore
Professor of Political Science at Kuwait University
Day 1: Friday 16 October
PRE-SCHOOL
Integrating the education and care services into one system: childcare & pre-school – the common ground. There is an emerging trend toward integrating the education and care services into one system, a development likely to result in greater public support and higher quality programmes. Sweden, New Zealand, Spain, Scotland, and the UK have already implemented this system. What are the sociological advantages?
Curriculum: Should pre-school programmes be a full school-day rather than a short day? Research shows this appears to lead to more positive outcomes. Scandinavian programmes cover the full workday and the French preschool system has a long school day.
Which methodologies are best? Reggio approach – the environment as a teacher, multiple symbolic languages, home-school relationships.
Montessori – children direct their own learning, the teacher is a guide
Waldorf approach – largely experiential, imitative and sensory-based
What do we teach
Do we teach academic skills or social skills? Does early teaching of academic skills improve outcomes later on?
Policy decisions: why should governments invest in early child development (ECD)?
· Dr Mary Eming Young, Lead Child Development Specialist, World Bank - via video
· Aaron Brenner, founder of KIPP SHINE Prep, and Head of Primary Schools,
KIPP Houston
· Ayla Goksel, CEO, Mother Child Education Foundation
· Diana Brenner, founding early childhood teacher, KIPP Houston
· Patti Gird, Head of the Foundation Phase, St Peter’s Girls’ School, Johannesburg
Graduate School of Social Science, Fordham University
END OF CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS, DAY 1
Day 2: Saturday 17 October
SUMMARY OF OUTCOME OF STREAMS DAY 1
ATTRACTING STUDENTS TO VOCATIONAL TRAINING
Making campus a great learning experience resembling real life.
Continuous review of course relevance and creation of new certifications and training programmes.
Ensuring sufficient depth of skills and at the same time offering holistic training that prepares students to be members of a workforce an a community.
EQUIPPING ALL LEVELS OF THE SECTOR WITH LEADERSHIP AND CHANGE MANAGEMENT SKILLS
Promoting deep learning on the job.
Rekindling the passion behind becoming a teacher in the first place
· Tony Wagner, Co-Director of the Change Leadership Group, Harvard Graduate School of Education
WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO ATTRACT THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST INTO THE TEACHING PROFESSION
Measuring and motivating, including how to remunerate.
Retaining the newly recruited teachers who came to education because of the economic situation.
Career planning: teaching as a career with aspirations.
Day 2: Saturday 17 October
MID-MORNING BREAK
SPECIAL STRATEGY SESSION
TAKING SEEDS OF SUCCESS TO SCALE
Each panelist will contribute one example that he/she thinks can be applied on a bigger scale.
What is required to expand the application of seedling success models?
KIPP Houston
· Nancy Ames, former Vice President, Educational Development Center EDC
· Dr Taddy Blecher, CEO of Community and Individual Development Association and CEO of the Maharishi Institute in South Africa
· Kari Pitkänen, Director of Administration, Finnish National Board of Education
· Dr Janice Jackson, Lecturer on Education and Senior Associate for the Executive Education Leadership Program, Harvard Graduate School of Education
· Dr Law Song Seng, Senior Advisor, ITE Education Services Private Limited (ITEES), Singapore
LUNCH
STREAMS OF CHOICE
Streams F, G and H run concurrently from 14:00 to 15:45
Streams I and J run concurrently from 16:15 to 17:50
The themes discussed in the morning’s plenary sessions will then form the basis of the afternoon’s streams, which will each feature case studies, presentations, discussions and summaries for action.
Day 2: Saturday 17 October
E-LEARNING
To what extent can classroom instruction be replaced by e-teaching to allow for education to reach more at a lower cost?
Are there social skills that we only learn from class room/face to face?
e-Learning design and methodologies, technologies and tools, content management and development, e-Learning standards, virtual learning environments
· André W. Haardt, CEO/Founder, FutureWhiz Media
· Brian McKay Epp, Higher Education Assessment Consultant, Pearson eCollege
· Gabriela Leon Ojeda, MS Technology Co-ordinator, Colegio FD Roosevelt, Peru
· Marmon Pagunsan, Training Programme Specialist, Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation Regional Center for Education in Science and Mathematics
· Dorothy Burt, e-Learning Team Leader, Manaiakalani Cluster, New Zealand
WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO ATTRACT THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST INTO THE TEACHING PROFESSION?
Making a career in education appealing: private sector redundancies moving into teaching – how do we keep them there after the economy picks up? What models (apart from increased pay) will attract more graduates into jobs in education?
Teachers: do they need constant reevaluation? Do existing measurement systems (remuneration and bonus based in USA for example) lead to manipulation of the system?
How should we measure and motivate through remuneration without creating adverse results and manipulation of scoring? Continued training, defined career paths & measurement of teachers, union activity.
· Kari Pitkänen, Director of Administration, Finnish National Board of Education
Day 2: Saturday 17 October
ATTRACTING STUDENTS TO VOCATIONAL TRAINING
How to make vocational training ‘cool’: enhancing the reach.
Creating holistic education versus technical experts.
Making vocational training relevant and accountable: Ensuring vocational training evolves to meet the needs of the workplace. Role of industry; incentives for performance; transparency; standard setting and monitoring; better governance.
How do we benefit from international collaborations?
The need to design a system that leverages education technologies to deliver innovative solutions and create authentic learning environments.
· James Knight, President and CEO of the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC)
· Nalin Jena, Project Leader, World Bank
AFTERNOON BREAK
Day 2: Saturday 17 October
EMPOWERING STUDENTS, PARENTS AND THE COMMUNITY
How to achieve better results through empowering students and parents to take responsibility for goals and how to meet them
The importance of encouraging each child to be the unique individual it is
Encouraging community involvement with school and vice versa: how to prepare students for modern life as citizens
Youth empowerment to foster balanced adolescent development and participation for both sexes
· Marina Rosenfeld, Pedagological Director, Aprendiz City School
· Dr Taddy Blecher, CEO of Community and Individual Development Association and CEO of the Maharishi Institute in South Africa
· Dr Dorothy Jennings, CEO, ACT Inc
· Russell Burt, Principal, Pt England School, New Zealand
IDENTIFYING AND PROMOTING THE BEST INSTRUCTION PRACTICES
Keeping instruction and assessment aligned and in balance
Tapping into pupils’ self-motivation and driving continuous innovation and improvement in instructional practices
The language of instruction issues in relation to the children's native tongue, and inclusive approaches in the context of increasing decentralisation of education
How to bring student-centered instruction into crowded classrooms
· Angela Ho, Director of Educational Development, Hong Kong Polytechnic University
· Nancy Ames, former Vice President, Educational Development Center EDC
Day 2: Saturday 17 October
SUMMARY OF OUTCOMES FROM DAY 2 AND PLANS FOR THE WAY AHEAD
CLOSING COMMENTS
Chief Executive, Economic Development Board of Bahrain
FAREWELL RECEPTION